Rotary International Di str ict 5630 www.rotary5630.org

Di s t r i c t Governor ’s Mes sage

October 2010

DISTRICT GOVERNOR

David P. Snow 1107 Baxter Street

Saint Paul, NE 68873 H: 308-754-4023 W: 308-754-4313 C: 308-754-3301

dpclsnow@charter.net

DISTRICT GOVERNOR-ELECT Ron Bazata

dg5630.2011@gmail.com

DISTRICT GOVERNOR-NOMIINEE

Dian Edwards dian@kmtel.net

DISTRICT TREASURER

Todd Adams dspring2@charter.net

DISTRICT SECRETARY

Sharon Hoffman hoffmansh@charter.net

DISTRICT TRAINER

Dian Edwards dian@kmtel.net

PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR

James N. (Jim) Shreck jshreck@charter.net

DISTRICT OFFICE & NEWSLETTER

Jean Issler 920 West Avenue

Holdrege, NE 68949 308-995-2347 (voice & fax) jean@jeanofficegenie.com

ROTARY INERNATIONAL

PRESIDENT Ray Klinginsmith

www.rotary5630.org

The Distr ict Newsletter

Greetings Rotarians, The Rotary focus, during October, is Vocational Service. Vocational Ser-vice is the second of Rotary‘s Avenues of Service. Has your club consid-ered a ―Shadow Day‖ providing an opportunity for students to spend time with Rotarians at their workplace to observe the ―what and how‖ business is conducted? Or your club could organize a ―Career Fair‖ so students could be invited to visit with business owners/workers about their company. High ethical standards also are included under Vocational Service. This is a subject we hear more these days and Rotary is in a position to carry the standards to our communities. Clubs could schedule a program on ethics quarterly and/or consider sponsoring an award annually to a citizen of their community based on high ethical standards. The thought for the day: When you open your club meeting with the Four Way Test do you give thought to the message included in these 23 words? Club Visioning. . . .You have no doubt heard about this program but should your club be inter-ested and why? I was one of fourteen district 5630 Rotarians completing the Rotary Vision Facilitators training in North Platte on Saturday. I had heard many good reports on this pro-gram, after viewing the program in depth, I sincerely hope your club will invite our team of facilitators to assist your club through the process. The result will provide your club with a clear set of goals for the future. Registering interest or questions should be addressed to Dian Edwards, DGN as our district coordinator of the Vision program. Finally, I have noticed in my club visits that the Dictionary Project is the most repeated pro-ject among our district clubs. It is such a wonderful project for our clubs. The 3rd graders really enjoy the dictionaries and the PR value for Rotary is priceless. If your club is not cur-rently doing this project, I would encourage you to check it out. It‘s GREAT to be a Rotarian! Dave Snow District Governor

Dave Snow

District Governor

We apologize for the quality, but this is a scanned photo given to Chuck Larsen by the Haitian refugee camp his group visited last month. The hand painted sign reads ―Thank You Water4Haiti‖. Chuck asked them who had visited and they listed half a dozen recognized big name relief organiza-tions including the UN, Concern, Food for the Poor, etc. Water4Haiti was the only one to bring help. It was money from District 5630 that made this possi-ble. See more in Chuck's report on page 6.

Fifty-five students just beginning the 7th grade participated in an overnight retreat at Kamp Kaleo near Burwell on August 24th and 25th. This year the Sargent 7th grade students joined 100% of the 7th graders from Garfield, Loup and Wheeler counties for a fun-filled retreat. The retreat was hosted by the GLW Children‘s Council, Inc. with the purpose of helping the students prepare for their transition into high school. The overall objective of the retreat was to educate the students about the benefits of remaining alcohol, to-bacco and drug free as well as to provide information on internet safety, the abuse of underage gambling and the dangers of prescription drug abuse. The Burwell Rotary Club was one of the organizations involved with breakout sessions with the students. Ten members from the Rotary Club presented the ―4-Way Test‖, an interactive discussion on ethics and character. The members made a promise to stay in touch with the students during the year.

By Frank J. Sibert, Foundation Chair

Have you joined the Sustaining members club? One hundred dollars will pay your dues this year and will make you a member

that is resulting in a better world.

If every Rotarian would become a sustaining member the Foundation would be able to support twice as many projects. You can help. Get in your hip pocket and support this program. There isn't any program that will do as much good as this one. Help if

you can. We all need to put our shoulder to the wheel and push.

If you think a sustaining membership isn't enough to do any good than I have another idea. Those who inform the Foundation that they have made a commitment of $10,000.00 or more in their final estate plan are eligible to receive Bequest Society recognition. If this is not possible become a Benefactor by making a commitment in your plan. These plans will not cost you a

penny until you die. These plans will benefit Rotary.

There are two plans you should consider when giving to Rotary. One is the Annual Programs Plan the other is the Permanent Fund. The Annual Programs Plan is funds use to fund the Foundations annual programs. The Permanent Plan is invested in per-

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Nominations are open

By Jim Shreck Nominations are now open for District Governor for District 5630! I would ask that all Club Presidents begin regular and frequent announcements at your weekly meetings that nominations for District Governor 2013-14 should be forwarded to PDG Jim Shreck (jshreck@charter.net) as soon as possible. District Governors are considered Officers of Rotary International during the year that they serve. They are given an expense allowance to help cover their mileage for club visits, hotel and meal expenses and cell phone, land phone and fax expenses. As Governor Elect you will be flown with your spouse or significant other to San Diego, California for a week-long training ses-sion during January 2013. The District also provides an allowance for the Rotary International Convention and the Rotary Zone Training sessions and meeting. The best part of serving as District Governor---you will make new friends from around the world that will last a lifetime!! Qualifications for District Governor are: you must have been a Rotarian for 7 years, you must be a member in good standing of a Rotary Club within the District, and you must have served a term as President of a Rotary Club. If you have any questions please contact PDG Jim at 308-532-3554 or at the above email.

―Git-R-Done‖ with The Foundation

petuity. The income from the fund is used to benefit existing programs and to underwrite new pro-

grams.

There are many ways you can help. We in Nebraska are blessed with the good life. We need to share our good fortunes with the world. The Rotary Foundation is helping to make a better life for people.

You can help by giving to the Foundation. As Larry the Cable Guy says, "Lets git-r-done."

Burwell club assists with camp retreat

Polio Plus Report

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Two-for-One special for World Polio Day

Dear Rotarian, As you may know, Sunday, 24 October 2010 is World Polio Day. In honor of World Polio Day, The Rotary Foundation is happy to announce 2 for 1 recognition points for every online contribution of US$100 or more made to PolioPlus during 18-24 October 2010, Central Standard Time. Rotarians may go to www.rotary.org/contribute to make their online contribution. Rotarians will need to have registered with Rotary‘s Member Access. Through Member Access, Rotarians are able to access online services and features. Rotarians may register for Member Access at www.rotary.org/memberaccess. Please note that contributions on www.rotary.org/contribute are in US dollars and will receive a US tax receipt. Donors will need to print the tax receipt at the time of donation. Also, online contributions cannot be made on behalf of another individ-ual, club or district. We expect to have a high volume of online traffic associated with this promotion. Please allow 4-6 weeks for the promotional points to appear. Once the promotional points have appeared in their accounts, donors may request their recognition materi-als. I hope you will join me in contributing online to PolioPlus in honor of World Polio Day. Together we will End Polio Now. Sincerely, John T. Osterlund General Manager The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International

By Delane Wycoff Pakistan’s Challenges and Ongoing Efforts: In the world campaign to eliminate po-lio, for the few countries where polio remains endemic, the situation remains chal-lenging. Pakistan is a prime example. In the year 2005, only 28 new polio cases were reported, yet in 2010 there have been 59 reported cases so far this, year. This should be seen as a setback for efforts by this country to rid itself of this debilitating disease. There are many difficulties facing Pakistan‘s anti-polio campaign. Outreach is a par-ticular challenge because of the difficulty in access to remote mountainous regions with few roads. Considering the dangers and population displacements resulting from war, refusal of the vaccine and the most devastating floods to hit the country in cen-turies, one can only start to imagine the enormity of the task. There has been immense suffering for the people of Swat, especially the children, during the two years under virtual control of the Taliban. Their leader, Mullah Fazlullah, conducted a rabid smear campaign against the vaccination drive warning all his followers that it was an American/Zionist plan to make the local people sterile. This was unfortunately effective in this poor region of people with limited education. The recent floods have had both negative and positive effects. The flooding has wiped out roads that need to be rebuilt and left some areas nearly inaccessible. However the flooding and military activities have forced many people into relief camps who have not been previously reached by vaccination efforts. Many relief camps were recently covered by vaccination efforts

and thus some previously unreached children have now been immunized. The recent massive flooding in Pakistan has disrupted vigorous vaccination campaign efforts in key areas of the country were the disease has only recently been con-tained. Roads have been cut and populations displaced, including families of volun-teers that have helped in the campaign. Destruction of cooling equipment needed to preserve vaccine has been another setback. In response to these challenges, a new Anti-polio drive was recently conducted in late September. The target was to vaccinate 200,000 children. In the city of Is-lamabad, the Islamabad Traffic Police, in cooperation with Polio Plus partner UNICEF, spread out across the sprawling city administering vaccination drops under the cam-paign slogan ―Let‘s kick polio out of Islamabad.‖ (continued on page 4)

A few drops of polio vaccine can save a

child from a lifetime of debilitation .

Widespread flooding through much of Pakistan has

set back vaccination efforts and prompted new

emergency campaigns .

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Polio...

Longhorn Pride supported by Rotary

(from page 3) In addition, 240 mobile teams of the District Health Department reached 95,758 chil-dren in far flung rural areas. Meanwhile in the distant northwest tribal areas of Paki-stan, seven unfortunate young children recently contracted polio. Although we can-not show their faces, we can tell you their names and ages: Rehmatullah (seven months), Usman (27 months), Rafiullah (11 months), Rizwan (18 months), Mukhtiar (21 months), Ubaid (29 months) and Abnoos (13 months). These children live in a region plagued by militancy which has disrupted efforts to fully vaccinate the popula-tion. As many as 30% of the children in this region may be unvaccinated. This is dan-gerously close to the level at which populations become vulnerable to outbreak of epidemics. The World Health Organization has recently expressed concerns and urged the government of Pakistan to concentrate new efforts in this region because of the risk of local cases and urgent need to complete disease eradication efforts in this part of the world. NEPAL: Nepal is not a country we have recently reported on because it has been considered polio free in recent years. How-ever, to the utter dismay of health officials a sixth case of polio has been detected within the last nine months. They believe it was transmitted locally, not imported from neighboring India. ―Alarmingly, most polio cases have been found in Muslim com-munities,‖ said a government official. The new cases have been carefully investigated with the help of Thailand-based testing services. The new cases are a serious jolt to the government which sponsored three mop-up campaigns against polio after the first case appeared, some months ago. It is now evident that the polio epidemic has not been eliminated. It has become, instead, more dangerous. The World Health Organization has urged a change in strategy. The mop-up campaign appears to have been successful in areas where volunteers were meticulous in covering all neighborhoods by going door-to-door. The new cases have appeared in re-gions where officials simply installed booths in major intersections and waited for children. Clearly this approach has been in-effective. NEBRASKA: October 24th is World Polio Day and many Rotary Clubs across District 5630 are planning special events to raise pub-lic awareness of Rotary‘s mission to lead the world effort for polio eradication. Spe-cial fund-raising events are being planned. In some communities, these events have become annual traditions. The Purple Pinkie Project is an ideal way to educate children and their parents about Rotary‘s role in Polio eradication. This project takes advantage of the fact that chil-dren are universally fascinated by marking their own bodies and the fact that a single polio vaccination costs only one dollar. Each child donating a dollar can have a finger dyed purple with gentian violet (a harmless dye that wears off in a few days). This symbolically links the donor with the recipient child being vaccinated . Children have their fingers marked the same way after vaccination to avoid duplicate dosing. The Rotary Club in Grant, Nebraska received recent newspaper publicity about their upcoming Purple Pinkie Day which will be conducted with the cooperation of the local school system for children that receive parental consent for participation. Principal Terry Prante expects approximately 170 students will participate.

Islamabad Police Inspector General Syed

Kaleem Imam administers vaccination drops

to a child at the recent inaugural of the city

-wide anti-polio campaign.

The Rotary Club of Burwell presented Mr. Goodman, Burwell Ele-mentary School Principal, with a check for $500 at their September meeting. The donation was designated to go for the purchase of t-shirts for the Longhorn Pride Program. The Longhorn Pride Program has been going for a number of years at the Burwell Elementary School. The program was created to recognize and reward students for acts of service/kindness at school or within the community. Sponsorship by the Burwell Rotary Club and some area businesses provides for awards and t-shirts presented throughout the year to students who are nominated by others for special acts of service or kindness.

Burwell Elementary Principal Mr. Goodman (left) receives a Burwell Rotary donation from President Tony Larson.

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Thoughts of a “First Timer”

By Judy TeSelle

Montreal, Quebec, Canada is an exciting city, but when you meet 18,000 of your closest friends for a RI Convention, it

takes on a completely different dimension. I have attended many district conferences, but International is eye popping. Al-

phabetic entry and posting of flags by country is simply breathtaking and the entertainment . . . what can I say except

‗sensational‘. I know there were opening comments made that evening, but the magnitude of the event was a bit overwhelm-

ing.

I am a people watcher, so it was particularly interesting to listen to a multitude of languages being spoken, observe

and appreciate native costumes, visit RI vendors and the dozens of Friendship Fellowships in the House of Friendship.

Breakout sessions covered every conceivable subject in the RI world from Building Peace: The Importance of the Ro-

tary Peace Centers Program; Don‟t Meth With Us; Matching Grants; Public Relations Grants; Sustainable Water and Sanitation

projects; Recruitment and Retention . . . the list is endless; hours and energy not even close.

RI President John Kenny came to the stage each session to “He‟s Got the Whole World In His Hands”, and he certainly

had us in the palm of his. He introduced us not only to the RI leadership, but to world class speakers such as Greg Mortenson,

Three Cups of Tea; Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, advocate for Arab-Israeli peace and Palestinian refugees, Palestine

being the most recent country to join the Family of Rotary; Dr. Bruce Alyward, director of the Global Polio Eradication Initia-

tive since 1998; Peter Kyle, lead counsel for the World Bank until his retirement in 2009;

Dolly Parton, literacy champion, and the Imagination Library celebrating distribution of

its 25 millionth book across three countries. And yes, she sang „9 to 5‟ charming each

and every one of us with her wit, humor and open nature.

Did I mention spectacular entertainment? When Celtic Thunder is the opening

act, Russell Watson, drop dead gorgeous tenor; he can sing too, and Cirque du Soleil are

the closers, you know you are a participant in an exceptional opportunity.

Montreal 2010 was my first RI Convention, but it certainly will not be my last. I

had a BLAST ! ! ! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

On to New Orleans . . . ! ! ! ―Let the Good Times Roll . . . Again.‖

Top Ten countdown begins

Top 10 Reasons To Go to the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans, May 21-25, 2011 With this newsletter, we begin a series of reasons why you (along with your partner and Rotary friends) should go to the Rotary International Convention! This month‘s reason – Number 10:

Because New Orleans needs a collective Rotary HUG! We have been reminded that it was five years ago that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the levees were breached, killing over 1800 people and rendering thousands more homeless. The resulting devastation made parts of New Orleans look like a war zone. As a city whose economy has always been largely dependent upon tourism, the losses caused by Hurricane Katrina were not only of lives and physical structures, but also of the city‘s economic infrastructure. One of the reasons why rebuilding progress was so slow was due to the fact that tourism declined sharply and this traditional source of revenue — which includes everything from hotel taxes to parking taxes —largely dried up. The people of New Orleans have been incredibly resilient, even in the face of more tragedy caused by the Gulf Oil Spill. But while there is progress, they are still not ― over the hump.‖ New Orleans needs your tourist dollars perhaps more than anywhere else in the United States. New Orleanians would rather talk about the future than dwell on the past, but they still need to know the rest of the country and world cares about them. Your visit signals that you‘re not afraid to look at devastation and that you‘re visionary enough to see a hopeful future. And the rebuilding has been moving along. Organizations, like Rotary and Habitat for Humanity are making a difference. You will be able to join one of the specially arranged tours where you will be able to see where the levees broke and where Rotarians helped to rebuild houses and other structures in the devastated area. You will also have the opportunity to assist on one of the many on going projects. A Rotary Volunteer experience to go along with the convention experience. Listen for more details on special ―Voluntourism ‖ opportunities. Sometimes we all just need a hug. By coming to New Orleans you will be giving the people (and Rotarians) of New Orleans a great big one, both literally and figuratively! See www.rotary.org for more details and to register, or contact Tom & Sheryl Mortimer (308) 754 5481 or sherylmmortimer@charter.net

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Kearney Dawn Rotary raises over $44,000 with Cranes on Parade II

By Connie Francis, COPII Publicity Chair Kearney Dawn Rotary‘s 2010 community art project, Cranes on Parade II, combined celebration of the arts and the annual migration of the Sandhill cranes with support for local and regional non-profit organizations and international Rotary projects to make Kearney – and the world – a better place for all. The 2010 edition of Cranes on Parade featured a six-foot crane sculpture created by Martha Pettigrew and replicated in fiberglass by Icon Poly of Gibbon. Local, regional and national art-ists applied their creative designs to seventeen cranes which were then displayed at sponsor or other public locations throughout the summer. On September 9, an auction of the six-foot cranes, as well as nine 15-inch study size cranes, raised more than $44,000 for ten organizations including: Safe House, Kearney Area Commu-nity Foundation, Museum of Nebraska Art, Press-On Ministries and Kearney Area Children‘s Mu-seum, all in Kearney; international programs: Water for Haiti, Himanchal Education Founda-tion and Alliance for Smiles; plus Rotary‘s Children of the Dump and PolioPlus projects.

Cranes are now showing up at new locations around town, thanks to the generosity of their buyers. Permanent public locations include Central Elementary, Kearney Public Library, Kearney Area Community Foundation and the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus, along with other commercial and residential loca-tions. Kearney Dawn Rotary members Sue Bigg and Steve Brodine served as co-chairs of the Cranes on Parade II project.

Nine months after Haiti was devastated by its largest earthquake in 200 years, it is hard to make a blank "state of the na-tion". Thousands of truck loads of debris have been hauled away but rebuilding in those areas are minimal. There still are over 1,000,000 displaced persons living in tents and less as shown in the photo. Many of these tarps and tents have served well tem-porarily but their useful life is now used up and are falling into disrepair. This particular camp shown has 3500 residents. Wa-ter4Haiti has helped them some since Feb. and we returned last month again with 4000# of rice, beans and cooking oil. It was the first commodities in weeks they had received and some people are very, very hungry. We asked what else we could do. They said, "We would like to have a school room for our 300 children. Could you give us some money to purchase wood to build benches and desks?" I was so impressed they asked for this, as we sat under a tarp with holes in it covering a room with a dirt floor. We agreed and soon a man appeared with a tape measure. Four of us spent over a month in Haiti this time with the idea of getting our truck loaded with supplies and a new drilling rig out of customs, neither of which happened. It will happen, only in "Haitian time". We had driven the truck from Nebraska to the Palm Beach dock and then to put it on a ship for St. Marc. As we waited for the truck to arrive after several delays we contin-ued to repair wells. There were five new installations of pumps placed on hand dug wells and fourteen pumps repaired which had be broken. The one pump which I will remember is one a group fixed last November. We were informed that it was broken again. When we remove the lid, the #80 roller chain had broken from constant use after only 8 months. It was in a church yard and it was a Sunday morning during services and the Pastor came out and grabbed a pipe wrench in his suit and tie and helped

as the congregation was singing inside. Now that is a church service I will always remember. Thank you Rotarians and Ro-tary Clubs who have given so generously this past year to help make a difference to the people of Haiti through Wa-ter4Haiti. Sincerely, Chuck Larsen

Haiti: school an important need in the midst of devastation

Thursday, September 23, 2010

By Shary Skiles

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Newly crowned Heritage Days Grand Marshal Jon Burkey probably summed up the spirit of Heritage Days best when he said, "It means a lot when we think about looking back at the heritage that we have, our families, our friends. It's pretty important how they blazed a trail and made a lot better life for the rest of us. The sacrifices they made most of us will never know. How many people made those sacrifices so that we can stand here tonight and live in a country that's free and have all the nice things that we have?" Burkey was given the award Wednesday night at the McCook National Bank Chamber mixer, which was the kick-off event for Heritage Days 2010. Burkey spent 40 years in public education as a teacher and administrator. He has served on the State Education Legislative Committees for both the Small Rural School Association and the Nebraska School Administrators Association. In 2009, he was selected as the Outstanding Alum-nus for Mid-Plains Community College Area. He has been a member of Rotary Interna-tional for more than 25 years, and received the Ben Hormel Award from the McCook Rotary Club. He has been active in the Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre Asso-ciation and has served as a Lector for the St. Patrick Catholic Church. Parade Marshal Rich Barnett seemed puzzled as McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Director Pam Harsh read some of the attributes of the 2010 Parade Marshal. "This young man would do anything for anyone, anytime, and he has," said Harsh. "He spent his entire life in Southwest Nebraska, and was a graduate of McCook High School. He didn't travel far to get his college degree, to find his wife or to raise his family." As Harsh went on to explain that the recipient was honored by the Nebraska Coaches As-sociation, and that he was somewhat famous because people know what food he loves, his favorite hobby, and the causes he believes in, Barnett, an announcer on KICX High Plains Radio, began to realize that he was being honored as the 2010 Parade Marshal. The 2010 Honor Family Award was presented to Gene and Jan Mahon. Gene has served Red Willow County as Sheriff for 23 years, but he has 42 years in his law enforcement career. He has been head of Emergency Management for the last 10 years and has been certified as a member of the Storm Watcher's Team. He implemented the DARE program in 1996 and the K9 program in 1998. Jan recently retired from 26 years of service to the agriculture industry through her employment with Frenchman Valley Coop. Over the years, both have invested their time and talent in the community through their involvement with their church, the YMCA, Extension Club, Kiwanis, Re-publican River Riders, The Toy Box, The Panty, Humane Society, and Heart to Heart. They have four children, Tonya Placzek and Tami Darling of McCook, and Kimber Mahon and David Mahon of California, 5 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. The 2010 Heritage Days Princess was Emily Wood, daughter of Paul and Linda Wood of McCook. Emily is active in MHS band, swim team, FFA, and National Honor Society. She has been a drum major for three years and is currently serving as the Band President. She has been in the Academic Top Ten for the past three years, and has received the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Ambassador. She has served on the Attorney General's Youth Advisory Council, volunteered at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, the Red Willow County Fair Board, and the McCook Humane Society. She has been employed at the McCook City Pool for four years. The 2010 Heritage Days Queen was Kim Holthus, daughter of Greg and Pati Holthus of McCook. She is a member of the National Honor Society, FBLA, Rotary Interact, MHS Varsity Choir, and is a peer mentor. Kim is currently a student member of the South-west Nebraska Leadership Institute and is serving as editor of the MHS Bison Stampede newspaper and is also serving on Student Council. In addition to being an honor and merit roll student, Kim is also active in the United Methodist church and volunteers throughout the community. Reprinted with permission.

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Grand marshal honors those who sacrificed for our freedoms

Jon Burkey, who has served more than 40

years in public education as a teacher

and administrator, was selected as the

2010 Heritage Days Grand Marshal. (Shary

Skiles/McCook Daily Gazette)

© Copyright 2010, McCook Daily Gazette

Story URL: http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1667086.html

Betsy Herrman of Kearney on the

Bricks receives her sponsorship pin. The

Bricks club has a Red Badge Program

that provides mentorship to new mem-

bers. Sponsors help new members com-

plete their membership checklist to

ensure that the new folks are fully ori-

ented and informed.

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Hej Rotarians!

Well I have been here in Sweden for about 2 months, and I love it!

I have now been in school for some weeks, and it is very good, I am in a dance program,

with some fashion design classes. It reminds me of college, so many classes to choose

from. Not to mention, I have 4

Swedish classes a week! The teacher is very good, and I am learning lots. I can order all

my fika's in Swedish. Fika, is like a coffee break, a good time to socialize with friends and

family, definitely a tradition I will take back to my family!

I have already made many friends, and love everyday that I am here! Now I am going to

try to adjust to Sweden's cold and rainy days. It has also slowly gotten colder, and darker

earlier everyday! No problem I love the rain!

I have posted a picture of a building that is in the center of

Helsingborg (the town I live in.) It is where many politicians have their offices.

Thanks so much for everything!

Best regards,

Dakota

Dakota Bergen, Rotary Exchange Student

Paxton, Ne/District 2360, Sweden

Rotary Exchange

Postcard!

Kearney on the Bricks helps with baby shower

Inbound exchange students report new experiences

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District 5630 execs attend Zone Institute

DG Dave Snow, DGE Ron Bazata, DGN Dian Edwards, and PDG Jim Shreck attended the Rotary 2010 Zone Institute held for Rotary

Zones 21b & 27 in Albuquerque, NM September 14-19. The theme of this year‘s Institute was ―The Future of Rotary.‖ Special

training sessions designed for District Governor Nominees, District Governor Elects, and District Governors were provided. As-

sistant Governor Duane Tappe attended the District Resource Leadership program held in conjunction with the Institute. Rotary

International Director Noel Bajat and Rotary International President Elect Kalyan Banerjee spent much of their time visiting dif-

ferent breakout sessions in addition to making presentations at the plenary sessions. District 5630 representatives joined with

other district leaders within Zones 27 and 21b to learn and expand knowledge of Rotary programs and support systems available

through the Rotary International organization.

There were no baby games or ooo-ing and ahh-ing over tiny outfits, but the Kearney on the Bricks Ro-tary Club helped make the United Way's Day of Caring Community Baby Shower a success. The club do-nated $150 in fines and happy dollars to purchase items for the event on Sept. 25 in Kearney. Due to some savvy bargain hunting by member Tiffany Ritchie, the club estimates it gave items worth about $300 at half the cost. Items purchased included baby supplies, bibs, a large trash can, board books and more. The items will help Kearney's Early Head Start, which will begin its first year in October serving 48 preg-nant women and young children up to age three.

District 5630 is hosting eight Rotary Exchange students this year. Here is an update on what three of them have been up to since their arrival in Nebraska. Fried Schwarze of District 1900 in Germany is spending his exchange year in Ogallala. He is playing football and having a great time. He says the homecoming was lots of fun and one of the highlights was the pep rally and being on stage with his team-mates. Fried writes, ―But what I especially like about the football games is the atmosphere and everyone gets pumped up and the fans are impressive. I am mostly playing defensive back (cornerback). I guess that‘s like the easiest position even for a Ger-man who has never played before :D but I am doing a lot of progress. I used to play junior varsity and in our game today I even played the whole game on defense that made me pretty proud. Actually we lost :( but it was a great feeling though. When the varsity plays, I normally just used to play when it is close to the end and the game is almost over and the score isn't close but I like the whole atmosphere. At the last varsity game, I was in for like the last minute, but most of my friends did a long "FRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD" from the tribune when I came in :). It is so fun here, thanks for hosting me.‖ Margaux Theillier comes from District 1750 in France. She says everything in McCook is going very well for her. She recently attended a Rockies baseball game, which she described as awesome. Margaux is playing volleyball this year. She writes, ―Our team is not the best because we lost most of our matches but I have a lot of fun! And, I love so much sport that is not a prob-lem. I'm in student council in my school, that very interesting because it's a discovery for me. We don't have this kind of club in France. We will go to the state student council meeting in November for a weekend. I'm very excited. I went to a Homecoming dance. The theme was ―Jammin‘ in the Jungle.‖ I had a LOT of fun!― Margaux has been attending Rotary Club meetings and represented Rotary in a parade where she rode in a beautiful car and held her French flag. In a few weeks she will run a race for polio and has joined the Interact club. Ronja Ganster is from District 1800 in Germany and is staying in Chadron. She is experiencing a lot of firsts on her exchange. In the last month, she watched her first football game ever (high school and Huskers) and watched her first softball game. She‘s also been trying many different kinds of foods that she‘s never eaten before such as Poptarts, Rice Krispies, cupcakes and beef jerky. She adds, ―I was the first time fishing in the Chadron Creek (and actually caught a fish that was even 10 inches long). But I found out that fishing isn‘t really my kind of ―sport‖. It‘s too slimy and slithery and I don‘t like worms :).‖ She has received her first A‘s in school and wrote her first Annotated Bibliography and Research paper (Henry Ford, the assembly line and its im-pact on today‘s society). She added, ―I am happy that I am done now and that we don‘t have to write them in Germany :)‖ Ronja is on the Chadron cross country team and has now participated in several meets and is improving her time. She has joined FBLA and One Acts. She will be playing the White Queen in a production of Alice in Wonderland.

The Distr ict Newsletter www.rotary5630.org Page 10

Dear Rotarians,

My host family is very helpful and takes me to lots of places. They took me to the

Baltic Sea, Hamburg for a soccer game, and they want to take me to Berlin. I went to

the concentration camp where Anne Frank died. My highlight so far is Rotary took

me to Lüneburger Heide. It was the first "national park" in the world. We stayed at a

5-star hotel and it was really exciting. I have had so many travel opportunities that

this will be my first weekend I am at the house.

School is really different here. I have like 14 classes that I am attending. I also get

out at 1:10 on most days. I usually hang out with friends and am learning the guitar.

One of my friends is in a band. I have actually been learning really fast. Over the

weekend I was with two other exchange students that have been here since

December. We went to a cafe and got cappuccinos and they were surprised that I

could order my food in German. They said they couldn't do that after only 2 months.

Germany is very strict about recycling. They separate everything like trashy trash

goes in the trash, all recyclables in another thing, and all food scraps go into

compost.

Rotary meetings are more formal than in the U.S. For example, they

meet at 5-star restaurants with waiters that have like the towel on the arm

and everything.

Sincerely,

Blake Blake Yarrington

Merna, Ne/District 1800, Germany

Rotary Exchange

Postcard!

Applications for 2011-12 Rotary Exchange Students are due October 15. Students will submit their applications to their local Rotary Club, which will screen the applicants and determine which students will advance to District Interviews in Novem-ber. We are looking for highly motivated, good students who are curious; are interested in other cultures and languages; welcome challenges and will be good ambassadors for Rotary as well as for their families, communities, state and country. The names and applications of candidates who qualify for District Interviews should be submitted to District Youth Exchange Chairman Ronna Morse by November 1. The application form, confidential school personal reference form, fee information and application procedure are available at www. 5630rye.org or at the District 5630 website.

Rotaract gets publicity

The Distr ict Newsletter www.rotary5630.org Page 11

Countdown continues...

Why should you go to the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans? This month‘s additional reason – Number 9:

Find the Four F’s - food, fun, fellowship and focus (on projects) in the House of Friendship!

Isn‘t it fun to be on a plane and notice someone wearing a Rotary pin? Or to walk into a store in a different city and to find the store owner wearing a Rotary pin? That instant connection often leads to an enjoyable exchange of stories about our Ro-tary clubs and Rotary experiences. Now imagine walking into the House of Friendship at a Rotary convention where everyone is wearing that Rotary pin! That means there are unlimited opportunities for conversations that could lead just about anywhere: Perhaps your clubs have com-mon interests and can join together for a matching grant. Maybe you can share some great fundraising ideas. Maybe that person‘s daughter lives in your town and is interested in joining Rotary. Or you decide to do a Friendship Exchange with that person‘s district so you can explore each others‘ countries while being hosted by fellow Rotarians. Just about anything can happen! In fact, you might just meet your ―new best friend!‖ Booths abound in the House of Friendship describing all kinds of exciting Rotary projects going on around the world. Many Ro-tary International Fellowships also have booths promoting the opportunity to join like minded Rotarians – like the RV Fellow-ship or the Golf or Sailing Fellowships. Vendors offer their wares – you can find just about anything you want with a Rotary emblem on it! But you can also find golf putters, jewelry and leather jackets. You can relax over a meal with new friends while enjoying local entertainment on the House of Friendship stage. It‘s also a gathering and meeting place for the Rotarians from your own district. And great photo opportunities are everywhere, espe-cially when you see fellow Rotarians from 150 countries wandering in the House of Friendship in their native dress! The House of Friendship is like an exciting bazaar and can initially feel overwhelming. But it‘s the quiet, personal contact with a new Rotary friend that you‘ll remember most when you go home. Because when you connect with a fellow Rotarian from around the world over a meal or a cup of coffee, the world gets a whole lot smaller! And isn‘t that what Rotary is all about? Food, fun, fellowship and focus. Find it all in the House of Friendship in New Orleans! To register, go to http://www.rotary.org/en/Members/Events/Convention/Pages/ridefault.aspx. For questions, contact _Tom or Sheryl Morti-mer (308) 754-5513 1221 Paul St. St. Paul, NE 68873

UNK Rotaract was featured in the Kearney Hub newspaper in August. Assistant Governor Don Peterson re-ports: ― It was really a great commu-nication segment for Kearney about Rotaract and the impact this club can have on our area and globally. Presi-dent Angie and her board are really organized this semester hosting a booth at Blue/Gold, and I heard it was very successful. Great job Angie! ― To request a copy of the article, contact Jean Issler, jean@jeanofficegenie.com

The Distr ict Newsletter www.rotary5630.org Page 12

Holt County third graders receive dictionaries

All 124 third graders in Holt County recently received a gift from the O‘Neill Rotary Club as well as a quick lesson on how to use their new gift. The present: a brand new Webster‘s Dictionary. The Rotary Club‘s Dictionary Project is designed to give each third grader his or her own personal dictionary. A dictionary is an essential tool for a quality education. A student cannot do his or her best work without one. A child develops under-standing of the world and builds a frame of reference on what he or she knows; a dictionary provides the knowledge to better understand our world and the words to share infor-mation. The project is also to aid third grade teachers in their goal to see all of their students leave at the end of the year as good writers, creative thinkers and active readers. Reading is an important skill and is the starting point for all the eco-nomic and social opportunities this world has to offer. This is the fourth year the O‘Neill Rotary Club has presented third graders with their own personal dictionary. Photos: The top three photos show O‘Neill Ro-tarians and students at Atkinson, Chambers and Stuart schools. The bottom two photos show are at the O‘Neill and O‘Neill St. Mary‘s schools.

The Distr ict Newsletter www.rotary5630.org Page 13

Valentine Rotary hosts regent

October...Vocational Service Month Oct. 5 Attendance & Membership re-ports due November...Rotary Foundation Month Nov. 5 Attendance & Membership reports due Nov. 15 File IRS 990 Reports (REQUIRED FOR ALL CLUBS) December...Family Month Dec. 5 Attendance & Membership reports due Dec. 31 Deadline to report 2011-2012 Club Officers to Rotary International; Copy to Ron Bazata, DGE January...Rotary Awareness Month Jan. 1 Semi Annual Report (SAR) to Rotary Interna­tional with copy to District Secretary Sharon Hoff­man Jan. 5 Attendance & Membership reports due Jan. (TBA) Quad District Foundation Dinner/Seminar, Den-ver February...World Understanding Month Feb. 5 Attendance & Membership reports due Feb. (TBA) District Team Training, location TBA Feb. 24-27 President-elect Training Seminar (PETS) (MANDATORY), Denver March...Literacy Month Mar. 5 Attendance & Membership reports due Mar. 31 Presidential Citation Forms due to DG Dave Snow April...Magazine Month Apr. 5 Attendance & Membership reports due Apr. 14-16 District Conference, St. Paul/Holiday Inn Mid-town, Grand Island Apr. (TBA) District Assembly May May 5 Attendance & Membership reports due May 15 Memo of Club Visits Form due from AGs to DG Dave Snow May 2011 RI Convention—New Orleans, LA June...Rotary Fellowship Month June 5 Attendance & Membership reports due 2012 RI Convention—Bangkok, Thailand 2013 RI Convention—Lisbon, Portugal 2014 RI Convention—Sydney, Australia

District 5630 Calendar

Send your calendar events and updates to Jean Issler jean@jeanofficegenie.com

Nominations for NOY due Oct. 15

Nebraska Regent Bob Phares was the guest speaker at the Valentine Rotary‘s noon meeting on September 30th. Phares gave a presentation on the university system and talked briefly about the move to the Big Ten Conference.

University of Ne-braska Regent Bob

Phares

To all Rotarians of District 5630: Since 1988 the Lincoln Rotary Club #14 has been proud to have the "Nebraskan of the Year" as one of its projects. We truly want to make this a chance to honor people from all over the state of Nebraska. We are asking you to help with nominations for the next event scheduled for January 18, 2011. Forms can be found on our web page www.rotary14.org. Our time line is to start the selection process by October 15, so we need to have any nominations by then. If you have any questions or if you need additional informa-tion, please feel free to contact me. Mike Wortman NOY Committee Chair 3333 E. Pershing Rd. Lincoln, NE 68502 Cell phone (402-525-5483

Four team members and two alternates were selected by the GSE Committee from interviews held in North Platte, Septem-ber 19. Rotarian Ron Miller of Chadron will lead this team of non-Rotarians on a four week study trip to central India (District 3030) departing mid January 2011. The GSE Team from India will be hosted in our district in April 2011. The Committee expressed its appreciation to the many clubs across the district who worked very hard in recruiting good candidates. We have a great team who will well represent our Rotary District and the State of Nebraska in this important good-will Rotary Foundation program. The team members are Aaron Troester, O'Neil; Jill Liske-Clark, Grand Island; Justin (Gus) Passero, Chadron; and Shane Potter, North Platte. Two alternates were selected: Kristin Paben, Kearney; and Lisa Gould, Chadron.The Group Study Exchange Committee for the 2010-2011 Rotary year are Jim Sheaf-fer ,Chadron (Chair); Sharon Hoffman, Kearney (Incoming Coor-dinator); Dave Fowler, Ogallala; David Pandorf, Callaway; Del Van der Werff, Curtis; Lori Swanson, North Platte; and Margue-rite Miller, Chadron.

Group Study Exchange Team Selected